Wednesday, February 05, 2014

An interesting article in the Daily Telegraph spells out the cost of the royal family in Spain.

Belt-tightening has seen Spain's royal budget slashed from nearly €9.4 million five years ago to €7.78 million in 2014 – a cut of two per cent from last year under the state-spending plan approved by parliament. This is a fraction of the budget that the British royal family enjoy and a pittance in comparison with the French royal budget.

The salary of King Juan Carlos has been frozen for the third year running at €140,519 plus a further €152,233 to cover the "cost of representation" including the wardrobe needed for official functions.

The 76-year-old monarch's medical bill for three surgical operations at a private clinic during 2013 amounted to €165,189, a figure that also came out of the palace budget.

Crown Prince Felipe who has increasingly stepped in to represent the Crown during the past year while his father battled with ill health, is again to receive an amount equal to half his father's salary and expenses.

But in a new move, reportedly at the behest of King Juan Carlos himself, Queen Sofia and Princess Letizia, the wife of the Crown Prince, will receive fixed salaries of €63,234 and €49,182 respectively for performing official duties plus expense allowances of €68,505 and €53,282.

In previous years their allowances were allocated at the King's discretion but have now been fixed at 45 per cent and 35 per cent of the King's revenue in a move described by a palace spokesman to make the budget "clearer and more transparent".

Princess Elena, the elder daughter of the King is to receive no salary for official duties but is entitled to €25,000 euros for the "cost of representation".

The younger daughter, Princess Cristina, receives no part of the royal budget and has been excluded from official acts since December 201.